Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 2
... es ändert sich viel, aber es bessert sich nichts ...
... there is a lot of change, butthere is no improvement ...
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 3
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 4
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 5
How to make enterprises intellectually manageable?
business process
workflow
information systems
ICT- infra-
structureinternal control
staffing
in/out sourcing
quality control
enterpriseontology
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How to achieve intellectual manageability?
“My hope [of computing science] became more articulate, when programming emerged as an application area par excellence of thetechniques that are well-known because we struggle with the small sizes of our heads as long as we exist. They are roughly of three different forms:
1) separation of concerns and effective use of abstraction2) the design and use of notations, tailored to one's manipulative needs3) avoiding case analyses, in particular combinatorially exploding ones.
... In my experience they make the goal ‘intellectually manageable’sufficiently precise to be actually helpful...”
Edsger W. Dijkstra
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The 1970 revolution
• In the sixties, Börje Langefors, introduced the distinction between the infological view and the datalogical view on information systems.
• This important intellectual tool for the separation of concerns in information systems development (ISD) has led to many new approaches to ISD around 1970: Structured Analysis and Design, Structured Programming, Conceptual Database Schema etc.
• The distinction made the development of IS intellectually manageable since then.
• The remaining weak point was the connection of the information systems to the enterprise (e.g. requirements engineering).
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 8
What is enterprise ontology?
• The ontology (or ontological model) of an enterprise is defined as an understanding of its operation, that is completely independent of the realization and the implementation of the enterprise.
• In particular, an enterprise ontology should satisfy the next quality requirements (C4E):• Coherent• Comprehensive• Consistent• Concise• Essential
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 9
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 10
The two system notions
• The teleological system notion• Is about the function and external behavior of a system• Is the dominant system concept in the social sciences• Is perfectly adequate for using and controlling systems• Has the black-box model as the corresponding kind of model
• The ontological system notion• Is about the construction and operation of a system• Is the dominant system concept in the engineering sciences• Is perfectly adequate for building and changing systems• Has the white-box model as the corresponding kind of model
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The black-box model
car
lighting system
power system
steering system
brake system
functional (de)composition
the driver's perspective
function :(mathematical) relationshipbetween input and output
functional behavior :the manifestation of thefunction (through time)
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 12
The white-box model
car
chassis wheels motor lamps
constructional (de)composition
the mechanic's perspective
construction :the components and theirinteraction relationships
constructional behavior :the manifestation of theconstruction (through time)
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 13
Business and organization
By the business of an enterprise is understood the functionperspective on the enterprise. It is characterized by the products and services that are delivered to the environment.
A business model of an enterprise is a black-box model type of model
By the organization of an enterprise is understood the constructionperspective on the enterprise. It is characterized by the processes in which the products and services are brought about.
An organization model of an enterprise is a white-box type of model
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 15
The organization view on change
Let me seehow I can
fix it
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 16
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 17
The Ψ-theory
The Ψ-theory is a theory about the operation of organizations.
Ψ is pronounced as PSI: Performance in Social Interaction, the paradigm on which the theory is founded.
The subjects (human actors) in an organization enter into and comply with commitments. This is the way in which collaboration takes place.
The Ψ-theory does justice to the fact that organizations are social systems, while at the same time providing a rigorous engineeringtype of framework for understanding them.
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 18
The roots of the Ψ-theory
• Semiotics:• Charles Peirce• Börje Langefors• Ronald Stamper
• Speech Act Theory:• John Austin• John Searle• Jürgen Habermas• Fernando Flores & Terry Winograd
• Systemic Ontology:• Mario Bunge• Ludwig Wittgenstein
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The operation axiom
Actors
ACTOR ROLES
P- world
PRODUCTION
P-fact
P-actC-
world
COORDINATION
C-fact
C-act
RESPONSIBILITY COMPETENCEAUTHORITY
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 20
The elementary coordination act
A (possible) fact in theP-world
A (addressee)
P (performer)
intention propostion
RequestPromiseStatementAcceptance...
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 21
E-phase
O-phase
R-phasecustomer producer
The transaction axiom
fact stated
fact accepted
fact promised
fact produced
request
desired new fact
fact requested
promise
stateaccept
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Here you are Thanks
I'd like to have such a bouquet Very well, sir
A1 : requests : A2 : person P has a bouquet B A2 : promises : A1 : person P has a bouquet B
A2 : states : A1 : person P has a bouquet B A1 : accepts : A2 : person P has a bouquet B
Order phase
Result phase
Execution phase : the actual delivery of the bouquet
Example of a transaction
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The composition axiom
Transactions are clustered in hierarchies or trees, according to the product structure (cf. Bill of Material) of the products they are dealing with.
Such a cluster of transactions is called a business process.
establishment patient problem
P1
P2
P3
P4
P51..•
clinical exam clinical test
laboratory test
expert opinion
1..•
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COORDINATION PRODUCTIONACTOR ROLES
The distinction axiom
performa
ontological production (deciding, judging, manufacturing)
exposing commitment (as performer) evoking commitment (as addressee)
informa
infological production (reasoning, deducing, computing etc.)
expressing thought (formulating) educing thought (interpreting)
forma
datalogical production (storing, transmitting, copying, destroying etc.)
uttering information (speaking, writing) perceiving information (listening, reading)
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 25
The organization theorem
B-organization
I-organization
D-organization
ontological production
infological production
datalogical production
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 26
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 27
B-actor(performa)
I-actor(informa)
D-actor(forma)
speakinglistening
formulatinginterpreting
entering intoand complying
with commitments
copyingstoring
transporting
computingreasoning
decidingjudgingcreating
The definition of enterprise ontology
enterprise ontology
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®
Design & Engineering
Methodology for Organizations
essential and simple
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The aspect models
Construction Model
Process Model
Action Model
Information ModelIMPM
AM
CM
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A06
LIBRARY
CA02
CA04CA01
aspirantmember
board
member
A01
registrar
A04
loan creator
loan terminator
reduced fee approval
membership fee payment
loan start
book return
return fine
payment
T03
T01
T02
membership
registration
T04
T05
loan end
T06
T07
CPB11 CPB12 CPB14personal date library data
general data
0..1
0..1
LIBRARY - Construction Model (1)
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LIBRARY - Construction Model (2)
transaction type
resulting P-fact type
T01 membership registration PF01 membership M has started to exist T02 membership fee payment PF02 the fee for membership M in year Y has been paid T03 reduced fee approval PF03 the reduced fee for mem.ship M in year Y is approved T04 loan start PF04 loan L has started to exist T05 book return PF05 book copy C has been returned T06 loan end PF06 loan L has ended to exist T07 return fine payment PF07 the late return fine for loan L has been paid
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LIBRARY - Information Model
MEMBERSHIP P M
PERSON
P is the member in M
the membership fee for M regarding year Y has been paid
the reduced fee for M inyear Y has been approved
the membership of L is M
the late return fine for L has been paid
M L
M has started to existL has started to exist
L has ended to exist
book copy C has been returned
LOAN L C
the book copy of L is C
YEAR
PF02
M Y
PF01
M
PF04
L
PF06
L
PF07
L
YEARPF03
M Y
BOOKCOPY
PF05
C
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What is made easier by enterprise ontology?
• Requirements engineering• Business process (re)design and (re)engineering• Intra and inter enterprise collaboration• Interoperability of information systems• Function/job identification and description• IT portfolio management•
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© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 34
Who needs enterprise ontology?
An enterprise ontology provides the common understanding of the operation of an enterprise to all stakeholders. In particular the next groups of stakeholders do need it:
• Managers; managing has become too complex for relying only on the function view on the enterprise. They need to have a global understanding of its operation too.
• Designers; for (re)designing and (re)engineering the organization of an enterprise, an explicit specification of the business processes is needed that is independent of their implementation.
• Users; why should the operation of an enterprise be fully opaque to its users? An enterprise ontology would provide the users the transparency they need too!
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 35
Outline
• Introduction
• System and Model
• The Ψ-theory
• Enterprise ontology
• Prospects
Enterprise Ontology
© 2005 Jan L.G. Dietz 36
The dawn of a new revolution?
• The ontological view on enterprises has the potential to give rise to new kinds of approaches to the analysis and design of enterprises (in which IS approaches can properly be embedded) because:• It focuses on the essence of business processes, being the
entering into and complying with commitments by human actors.• It puts the role of the human being as social individual ‘on top of’
his being an intellectual individual. By doing this, it provides the fundamental link between organization and information.
• It relates the notions of competence, authority and responsibility to the operation of an enterprise in a rigorous way.